polymerguru

Compared with steel sheet or die cast aluminum,  polyamides  provide tremendous opportunities for reducing weight in the production of automotive engine oil pans. This is demonstrated by the 1.8 and 2.0-liter turbocharged gasoline engines used in the Audi A3, A4 and A6 as well as in the Volkswagen Passat for example. Their engine oil pans are made of Durethan AKV 35 H2.0, a  polyamide 66  from LANXESS, and weigh roughly one kilogram less than a steel component solution. They are around 50 percent lighter than an oil  pan  made of aluminum. "Not only do weight savings of this magnitude appreciably reduce the vehicles' fuel consumption and CO 2  emissions, they also improve the handling because this weight is saved in the area of the front axle," said Frank Krause, an expert for oil-bearing  polyamide  engine parts at LANXESS. The oil pans are manufactured by POLYTEC PLASTICS Germany GmbH & Co KG based in Lohne, Germany. Great design freedom There is a general tr

Applied CleanTech transforms human fecal matter into a variety of end products. Applied CleanTech's Sewage Recycling System turns the solids in sewage streams into a fertile source of energy and other consumer end products such as paper, envelopes and plastics. Because ACT extracts — rather than digests — the bio-solids in raw sewage, its process reduces total sludge formation by up to 50%. Other advantages of ACT's Sewage Recycling System include a 30% reduction in wastewater treatment plant costs(and such costs, in turn, represent 30% of sewage processors' operating costs) and a 15% increase in plant capacity. ACT's automatic recycling process also enables a reduction of accompanying odor problems during the treatment process, improves general plant maintenance and results in cleaner water. The company monetizes the 30% reduction in energy costs borne by the sewage operator by selling carbon credits. The immediate product that comes out of ACT's recycli

An above-average positive development in  bioplastics  production capacity has made past projections obsolete. The market of around 1.2 million tons in 2011 will see a fivefold increase in production volumes by 2016 — to an anticipated almost 6 million tons. This is the result of the current market forecast, which the industry association European  Bioplastics  publishes annually in cooperation with the Institute for Bioplastics and Biocomposites from the University of Hannover. The worldwide production capacity for bioplastics will increase from around 1.2 million tons in 2011 to approximately 5.8 million tons by 2016. By far the strongest growth will be in the biobased, non-biodegradable bioplastics group. Especially the so-called 'drop-in' solutions, i.e. biobased versions of bulk plastics like  PE  and  PET  that merely differ from their conventional counterparts in terms of their renewable raw material base are building up large capacities. Leading the field is part

One of the European leaders in pultruded composite material profiles is going to provide 20 kilometers of the Thailand capital with third rail covers. ICCO COMPOSITES produces top contact third rails up to 4 and 6 meters long which comply with safety and resistance requirements. Delivery is planned for early 2013 and should be open to the public on 2015. Maximum underground safety ICCO COMPOSITES pultruded profiles (especially designed for the top contact third rail) comply with all local security requirements and provide fire-resistant solutions for an even better safety. Totally insulating, these profiles show many fire-resistant features and benefits: fire-resistant, low smoke emission, UV resistant, etc. "The fact that one quarter of our activity is dedicated to the railway industry enables us to have a perfect knowledge of the market and business demand as regards safety issues. We can comply with our customers' most important safety requirements and have been

SABIC's Innovative Plastics business recently announced new LEXAN™ FST3403 (flame-smoke-toxicity)  polycarbonate  ( PC ) copolymer, the first thermoplastic solution for rail seating applications to meet the strictest fire safety requirements under the CEN/TS 45445 standard. Now commercial a full two years before this European standard goes into effect, new high-performance. LEXAN FST3403 copolymer — developed specifically for seat back shells and side covers — achieved the highest possible hazard level rating (HL3) under CEN/TS 45445-2 R5. In addition to its exceptional heat release, smoke density and toxicity performance, documented by independent laboratory testing, the LEXAN FST copolymer delivers high flow properties for injection molding large parts with excellent aesthetics and impact strength. Today's new product launch demonstrates SABIC's commitment to meeting evolving public safety standards with tailored thermoplastic solutions that support the needs of t

Solvay announced recently a capacity increase of 70% at its Panoli plant, India, for the production of its high performance polymers KetaSpire polyetheretherketone  ( PEEK )® and AvaSpire® polyaryletherketones (PAEK). Panoli is Solvay's largest plant worldwide for these two innovative ultra performance polymers that tower at the top of the plastics performance pyramid. Nearly half of this capacity increase has already been implemented and successfully brought on-line. The second phase of the project will be completed by mid 2013 and will allow the plant to continue to satisfy growth in demand. The ultra-high performance of KetaSpire®  polyetheretherketone  ( PEEK ) and AvaSpire® polyaryletherketones (PAEK) along with their ease of processing provide substantial value for design engineers. The products are used in a diverse range of applications spanning many industries including aeronautic, automotive (e.g. mechanical components in cars), healthcare ( medical equipment  and

Swedish airline Malmö Aviation recently introduced a new catering container on its flights aimed at significantly reducing the problem of disposing of waste from their on-board catering service. It was the airline caterer Picknick served by Omikron, packaging manufacturer, who was searching for a new sustainable solution. The Swedish manufacturer Iggesund Paperboard supported them with suitable material for the purpose. Iggesund, specialized in coated paperboard for the premium packaging market, is a long-standing partner of Novamont. In addition to the box, which is made from a virgin fiber-based paperboard called Invercote, the solution also includes a serving tray suitable for fresh food, made of Invercote Bio, extrusion coated with Mater-Bi®, Novamont's biodegradable and compostable bioplastic (according to EN 13432). Produced in a modified atmosphere to ensure the food remains fresh, the serving tray — thanks to the use of Mater-Bi® — can be disposed of together